Back for another go at this 10K lark...!

Our headline repeats how the light-hearted and entertaining race website introduced the 7th edition of the Chew Valley 10K on Sunday, 9 June. The launch of the 2019 technical T-shirt design effectively fires the starting gun for the organisation of this hugely popular, community-based race.

Chew Valley nestles beside the River Chew in North Somerset in an area dominated by Chew Valley Lake, the fifth largest artificial lake in the United Kingdom. Hills are a feature of both the area and the course, which climbs and descends more than 100m from the halfway point.

Last year's most successful mountain goats were James Rodgers (North Somerset, 33:44) and Hannah Moore (41:35) and the course records are held by Nathan Young (Wells City, 33:05) and Lucy MacAlister (Bristol and West, 37:28) – both set in 2014.

Typically, runners are three minutes slower than their best times on this tough course in the Mendip Hills but the scenery, hilltop jelly baby station and cheering crowds in Bishop Sutton village are reward enough to see capacity fields every year (increased to 1,000 for 2019).

As for the all important race T-shirt, Chew Valley School year 10 pupil Grace Churton (pictured) has won this year’s competition with a striking black and green design created as part of her design and technology GCSE course.

This year the race will support Bloodbikes and local schools. In addition, the event will raise money for A Life for a Cure to help the Bristol charity increase awareness of the Meningitis B vaccine and promote it to local schools and families.

Debbie Fortune Estate Agents are again main sponsors and George Worle, assistant branch manager and former Chew Valley School pupil said: “We are delighted with the T-shirt design which incorporates the Chew Valley 10K, our brand and the lake brilliantly. We are really excited about this year’s race which promises to be bigger and better than ever”

Enter now to avoid missing out as every year since it began the race has sold out. Visit the race website here for details.